"Ranked: Countries Leading the Way in Renewable Energy Use"

The Global Energy Revolution is Here

Global renewable energy capacity grew by a record-breaking 15.1% in 2024 to reach 4,448 gigawatts (GW), with around 585 GW of power added largely due to solar and wind energy expansion. Think of it like this: we added enough clean energy in one year to power entire continents.

But here's the thing that'll make your jaw drop – some countries are so far ahead in this game, they're practically living in tomorrow while others are still stuck in yesterday. What makes certain nations renewable energy superstars?

It's not just about having the right natural resources (though that helps). Effective policies, private-sector action and public-private cooperation are needed to create a more inclusive, sustainable, affordable and secure global energy system.

Some countries figured this out decades ago, while others are just catching on. The race isn't just about bragging rights – it's about survival, economics, and honestly, showing off a bit.

Countries that master renewable energy get cleaner air, energy independence, and often become tourism magnets too. Who doesn't want to visit a place that runs on sunshine and ocean breezes?

But the competition is fierce. While the 10 countries that score the highest in terms of readiness account for only 2.6% of global annual emissions, it's the big players that hold the real keys to our planet's future.

Norway: The Hydropower Heavyweight Champion

Norway is the largest producer of "clean" energy with 98.3% of energy produced from renewable sources. When Norwegians flip a light switch, they're basically harnessing the power of waterfalls and fjords that have been carving through their landscape for millennia.

Hydropower is the primary renewable source of electricity in Norway, accounting for approximately 90% of the electricity production in 2024. Walking through Norwegian cities feels different – there's no smoggy haze, no coal plant smokestacks on the horizon.

Just pristine air and the distant hum of civilization powered by nature's raw force. Over 99% of electricity production in mainland Norway comes from 31 GW hydropower plants with 86 TWh reservoir capacity, averaging 133 TWh per year.

The crazy part? Norway's been at this game since the late 1800s.

They didn't just stumble into renewable energy – they built their entire modern society on it. Norway is Europe's largest producer of hydropower and the 6th largest in the world.

But Norway's not resting on its watery laurels. Onshore wind power is the second-largest source of renewable energy production in Norway, currently accounting for approximately 8% of total electricity production.

They're diversifying their clean energy portfolio like a smart investor.

Iceland: Fire and Ice Energy Paradise

Iceland might be small, but it punches way above its renewable energy weight class. About 85% of total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from domestically produced renewable energy sources – the highest share of renewable energy in any national total energy budget.

This volcanic island nation has turned its geological quirks into energy goldmines. Electricity sources are 100% renewable, with 30% from geothermal powerplants and 70% from hydropower.

Imagine living in a country where Mother Earth literally heats your home. Geothermal water heats around 90% of Iceland's homes, turning what could be a frozen wasteland into a cozy Nordic paradise.

The landscape tells the whole story – steam rising from the ground, massive turbines spinning in mountain passes, and rivers that never freeze because they're heated from below. In 2015, a combination of hydropower and geothermal power provided almost 100% of Iceland's electricity production, with geothermal power heating 9 out of 10 homes.

Iceland sees itself as a rising world leader in geothermal, renewables and associated technology, highlighted by the 'Sustainable Iceland' strategy released in July 2024. They're not just using clean energy – they're exporting the know-how to transform other countries too.

Costa Rica: The Central American Green Giant

Costa Rica is like that overachiever friend who makes everyone else look bad, but in the best possible way. The past five years have been incredible for renewables in Costa Rica, with its green power generation hovering around 99%.

This tiny Central American nation has been running on renewables for so long, they've actually broken their own records multiple times. Costa Rica holds the world record for most consecutive days using solely renewable energy – 300 in 2018, breaking their own record of 299 days in 2015.

Picture a country so powered by nature that fossil fuels are literally backup options gathering dust. The secret sauce?

Diversity. Costa Rica uses a combination of hydro, geothermal, wind, biomass and solar power.

When the rivers run low, the wind picks up. When clouds block the sun, geothermal energy keeps humming.

In 2022, Costa Rica generated more than 98% of its energy from renewable sources: 75.16% from hydropower, 12.97% from geothermal sources, 10.65% from wind, and less than 1% from biomass and solar. Here's the kicker – in some years, they've been able to export excess power to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras and El Salvador.

They're not just energy independent; they're energy exporters helping their neighbors go green too.

Brazil: The South American Renewable Powerhouse

Brazil isn't messing around when it comes to renewable energy. Brazil, with 89.3% of renewable energy, surpassed New Zealand and takes second place globally.

This massive country has turned its geography into an energy advantage – endless rivers, constant sunshine, and winds that never quit. Brazil's installed power capacity increased by 10.9 GW in 2024, the highest growth ever recorded since 1997, with 301 new power plants installed across 16 Brazilian states, of which over 91% were renewable.

The scale is mind-boggling – they're basically building a new clean energy infrastructure every year. What's really impressive is the breakdown.

The newly installed capacity included 147 solar PV power plants (5,630 MW), 121 wind projects (4,261 MW), 22 thermal plants (907 MW), nine small hydropower plants (52 MW) and two hydroelectric generating plants (4.6 MW). They're not putting all their renewable eggs in one basket.

The Amazon isn't just about preserving rainforest – it's about harnessing massive river systems for clean electricity. China leads in total hydropower capacity with over 340 GW, but Brazil holds second place with 112 GW, with the U.S., Canada, and Russia rounding out the top five.

Denmark: Wind Energy Trailblazer

Denmark didn't just embrace wind energy – they practically invented the modern wind industry. In the first nine months of 2024, wind and solar accounted for 72% of Danish power output, with bioenergy comprising another 10% of the mix.

Drive through the Danish countryside and you'll see wind turbines spinning like prayer wheels across rolling green hills. Denmark ranks fourth globally with 87.2% renewable energy, but what makes them special isn't just the numbers – it's how they've turned wind into an art form.

Danish engineering firms basically wrote the playbook on offshore wind technology that the rest of the world is now copying. The North Sea around Denmark has become a testing ground for massive offshore wind farms.

These aren't just scattered turbines – they're organized energy forests stretching to the horizon. Wind power pioneer Denmark leads the way, while Iceland still performs strongly thanks to its geothermal resources.

What's brilliant about Denmark's approach is they figured out how to make intermittent wind power work reliably. They've mastered the grid balancing act that makes renewable energy practical, not just idealistic.

China: The Renewable Manufacturing Monster

China's renewable energy story is absolutely wild. China produced 32% of global renewable electricity, followed by the United States (11%), Brazil (7.0%), Canada (4.7%) and India (4.3%).

But here's where it gets crazy – they're not just using renewable energy, they're building it faster than anyone thought possible. Installed solar and wind power capacity climbed 45.2% and 18% respectively in 2024, with solar power reaching 886.67 GW, up from 609.49 GW in 2023.

To put that in perspective, the United States had 139 GW in 2023. China is playing a different game entirely.

Between March 2023 and March 2024, China installed more solar than it had in the previous three years combined, and more than the rest of the world combined for 2023. Picture entire provinces covered in solar panels and wind farms sprouting like mechanical forests.

The scale becomes surreal when you realize China hit its 2030 renewable energy target six years ahead of schedule in July 2024. They're not just meeting goals – they're obliterating them and setting new ones.

Sweden: The Nordic Renewable Veteran

Sweden has been quietly revolutionizing its energy system for decades. In 2012, Sweden reached their target of 50% renewable energy 8 years ahead of schedule, putting them right on track to reach their 2040 goal of 100% fossil-free renewable electricity production.

This is what happens when a country makes long-term commitments and actually sticks to them. Sweden ranks sixth globally with 69.4% renewable energy, but their approach is beautifully balanced.

According to 2020 data, Sweden's total energy needs were covered by 43% hydroelectric, 31% nuclear, 15% wind, 9% biofuels, and less than 1% solar, but by 2022 they increased wind to 27%. Walking through Swedish forests, you'll notice something interesting – they're not just preserved wilderness, they're energy resources.

Sustainable forestry provides biomass for heating and electricity, turning wood waste into power without destroying ecosystems. Sweden has set ambitious targets: 100% renewable electricity generation by 2040 and carbon-neutral by 2045.

They're not just talking about it – they're methodically building toward it, year by year.

Uruguay: The Small Country with Big Wind Dreams

Uruguay proves that size doesn't matter in the renewable energy game. Since 2007, Uruguay has undergone a renewable energy revolution, with decades of transformation resulting in 91% of all electricity from renewable sources in 2022.

This tiny South American nation punches way above its weight class. Between 2013 to 2018, Uruguay increased its wind power from 1% to 34% of its electricity mix in five years – the fastest any country has achieved over that timeframe.

Imagine transforming your entire energy system in less time than it takes to get a college degree. Uruguay produces more than 97% of its electricity from renewable energy sources and, despite having only 3.39 million people, has made it to the top five in wind and solar energy producers worldwide.

The coastline is dotted with wind turbines that harness Atlantic breezes with remarkable efficiency. In some years Uruguay generates so much renewable energy they're able to export it to their South American neighbors, Argentina and Brazil, and they're still looking for extra ways to put it to use.

Talk about renewable energy abundance!

Germany: The Industrial Green Transition Leader

Germany's renewable energy story is fascinating because they're proving that major industrial economies can go green without sacrificing economic might. In 2022, Germany's government set their 'biggest energy policy reform in decades' with renewables at the center, targeting 80% renewable power by 2030 and close to 100% by 2035, with renewables accounting for 46.9% of German power consumption in 2022.

Drive through the German countryside and you'll see the energy transition happening in real time – solar panels on barn roofs, wind turbines spinning in fields where cows graze, and entire towns powered by locally generated clean electricity. It's like witnessing an entire country rewiring itself.

Germany ranks tenth globally with 53.5% renewable energy, but what makes them special is how they're doing it while maintaining one of the world's strongest manufacturing economies. They're proving that going green doesn't mean going backwards economically.

The German approach focuses heavily on distributed energy – thousands of small solar installations, community wind projects, and local energy cooperatives. It's renewable energy democracy in action.

The United Kingdom: Offshore Wind Superpower

The UK has turned its geography – surrounded by windy seas – into a renewable energy superpower. Currently, the UK is the global leader in offshore wind energy, with more capacity installed than any other country, with offshore wind powering over 7.5 million homes.

Those gray, stormy skies that tourists complain about? They're actually powering the nation.

In Quarter 2 of 2024, the UK achieved a new milestone with renewable electricity production accounting for 51.6% of total power generation, largely attributed to significant growth in solar and wind power capacity, combined with advancements in battery storage technology. With a plan to increase offshore wind capacity fourfold by 2030, this will go a long way to the government's plan to decarbonise its power system by 2035.

Picture massive wind farms stretching across the North Sea, their turbines visible from coastal cliffs like mechanical lighthouses guiding the way to a clean energy future. As of October 2024, the UK used its last coal power plant, and just last year they used more renewable energy on the grid than fossil fuels during one quarter.

The country that started the Industrial Revolution with coal is ending it with wind and sun. The renewable energy race isn't slowing down – it's accelerating.

Countries that seemed impossibly green just a few years ago are being overtaken by newcomers with bigger ambitions and smarter strategies. What fascinates me most is how each nation has found its own path: Norway's waterfalls, Iceland's volcanoes, Denmark's winds, Brazil's diverse geography.

There's no single recipe for renewable success, but there is one common ingredient – the courage to bet big on a cleaner future. Which country do you think will surprise us next in this green energy revolution?

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